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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bowl · pitcher · saw · race · rule · stand · face · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — certain
  3. face — to point toward
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bound — tied together
  7. race — a contest
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. race — the arms race
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. rule — a law
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. race — humankind
  19. stand — to bear
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. rule — government

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com